Famous
by YelloMarker
Summary: Just the life of an actress. Papparazi, spotlight, drama, and a senpai Kyoko doesn't know what to do with.
1. Rite of Passage

Kyoko's stomach churned as she peeked out at the hundreds of pairs of expectant eyes as she bee-lined to her inevitable doom.

'I'll be fine... I'll be fine..'

Rubbing the precious gem on her hand, Kyoko willed herself for courage. She'll be fine. Successful actresses must eventually go through this rite of passage. Snow White must take her poisonous apple and Cinderella must suffer her evil stepsisters. Except that Snow White and Cinderella was not being gossiped about unjustly by paparazzi, after all they were especially prone to twisting unsuspecting truth to some blown-out-of-proportion romance of the century.

It must be because Cinderella's step sisters did not have cellphone with cameras or internet reception. Cellphones could do just about anything these days, unlike her phone, which does nothing other than text or make calls. Speaking of texts, she hadn't replied to Sawara-san's text this morning. It sounded really important, but she was still really awkward with typing on the small keypad. She always typed things really slowly and ended up getting distracted before she finished typing her message. Maybe she should double check her draft folder and ask Moko-san for help….

"…And here's the star we've been waiting for…"

'….'

'NO! NO! NO! I still need to prepare… !'

Like treacherous headlights flashing on unsuspecting deer, the spotlight beamed on her gloriously like the halo of a thousand cherubs. She could almost hear the hallelujah chorus on the background.

"She was the bloodcurdling Mio from the popular Dark Moon. She was Box R's Natsu. A rising actress on the most-awaited upcoming drama "Skip Beat!" and the center of a very hot gossip, please welcome, Kyoko-san!"

'NuooooooOOOOO!'


	2. Really

"Please sit down down, Kyoko-san." The show's host gently gestured for Kyoko to take the 'hot seat'.

"Hai, please take care of me, Rina-san."

"It is great to finally see you in person, Kyoko-san! I've always been a huge fan of Mio." The Rina smiled good-naturedly, and in her eyes Kyoko saw genuine excitement in her statement. Rina had been a well-known host to live interviews with the latest trending personality, starting from politicians, entrepreneurs, to cute ukulele boy who got viral on Youtube. And now it's Kyoko's turn.

"Thank you Rina-san. It's a pleasure to be here" and turning to address the audience, Kyoko bowed "Thank you for having me here as well, everyone".

The audience clapped in response as the show begun to take its course.

"So we were very surprised 3 days ago to find photos of you and the elusive Tsuruga Ren taking over the internet by storm." As she talked, the screen behind her started a slideshow of the pictures she was referring to. "I am sure a lot of women must be heart-broken by this revelation, but congratulations on being a couple, Kyoko-san!"

Kyoko inwardly cringed at the word couple. Dead. She's so dead.

**Flash back: 3 Days Ago.**

Lory really had no problem with his talents finding the love of their life. He really didn't. Regardless of what their popularity chart may say, Lory sincerely believed that love opens a whole new door of emotional growth and potential, which should be an irreplaceable asset to any artist. That alone should outweigh a simple popularity chart drop. Plus, everyone should have his or her chance at happiness. Who is he to take that away from his talents?

To be sure, not a lot of entertainment leaders shared his view, not the least of which his talents, who were now sitting in front of him making faces as if it was the end of the world. And one particular bespectacled manager who looked like he just had an indigestion.

Lory clucked.

Really, these boring people.

"It's really my fault, Tarakada-Sachou!," Kyoko begged, her eyes brimming with tears of embarrassment and guilt. "I've dirtied Tsuruga-san's good name!"

"No, don't Kyoko-chan!" Yashiro made a great impression of maiden in distress, "If there's anyone to blame, it is me! President, you should fire me for being a useless manager!"

Lory raised his brow.

"No, Yashiro-san. It's really my fault! I should not have done-, done- T-THAT!"

The word was too much for Kyoko to bear, but the headlines staring back at them spoke louder.

'Love on Set! Tsuruga Ren and Kyoko',

'Japan's Number One is Taken!',

All the way to:

'Dating Since Dark Moon'

'Ren &amp; Kyoko, Secretly Engaged?!'

'Ren's Girlfriend Called In Sick, Source Says She's 2 Months Pregnant'

And,

'Who is Kyoko, the mysterious lover of Tsuruga Ren?'

Pictures of Kyoko and Ren together in various sets, and finally a blown up picture of them kissing stared back at them refusing to be forgotten. The sheer absurdity of it all almost made Kyoko cry.

"Well, at this rate, there is only one thing to be done." Lory said carefully.

Three pairs of eyes looked at him expectantly.

"We must come out in the open and do a proper press release. There's no shame in that."

Ren sighed. Kyoko paled. "W-What are you saying, Sachou?"

The president looked at Kyoko as if she was daft.

"Release an honest statement saying that you and Ren are in a relationship. That should put the outrageous speculations to a rest. Unless, Mogami-kun, you are really carrying his child?"

"HIS-," Her face was furious shades of red and she was torn between digging a hole to burry herself and defending her maidenhood. "That was when I had a food poisoning! I had to take a sick leaves for 3 days because I can't stop throwing up!"

Kyoko eyed her senpai emphatically. There was an air of gloom surrounding the number one actor since he arrived at LME. She would be depressed too if she were linked with a plain, flat-chested fledging actress such as herself.

"Mogami-san and I are not going out, president." Ren said patiently, though he wished he could say otherwise.

"Re~eally?" Lory drawled.

Lory had had his doubt. The fact that his favorite couple are suddenly going out without his and his many spies' knowledge was too good to be true, but seeing the pictures of them together enjoying each other's company, and especially, seeing the picture of them kissing like there's no tomorrow, even he can't be fooled into believing that the gossip had no ground.

"Actually, Sachou," Yashiro had to blush before making his confession, his gloved hand involuntarily adjusting his glasses "I was the person who took all these scandalous pictures."

Now Lory was really lost. And here he thought he'd got Ren the best manager one could find. Yashiro squirmed even more under his stare.

"The pictures.. I usually stored them privately, but a couple days ago I broke my phone and had to bring it to repair shop. I didn't think.. uh.. that they'd.. uh…hack my phone and uploaded the pictures online."

What Yashiro didn't say was that they found his '_Ren-Kyoko sweet moment!'_ collection numbering to dozens of pictures that he had collected since Dark Moon. Pictures of Ren and Kyoko bantering, sharing lunch, walking side by side. They were all very well taken, if Yashiro may say so himself, if not for the direness of the situation.

They added a rose-colored perspective to Ren and Kyoko's otherwise dry interaction. And all of the pictures would have been perfectly innocent pictures it if weren't for very last picture of them kissing.

Lory stared at Yashiro as if seeing him in new light.

Yashiro, the poor guy, was now sitting stiff in a _dogeza_ with letter of resignation on his hands.

"As you now see, Sachou, it was all my fault. I was an irresponsible manager, allowing my moments of weakness to create trouble for my charge. I am no longer fit to be Ren's manager. Please dispose me as you see fit!"

"No Yashiro-san! You couldn't fault yourself for looking out for your charge!" Kyoko cried, looking not the least disturbed by the manager's admission as he looked at Kyoko strangely. How is it that taking pictures that encourages gossip about his charge be counted as 'looking out'?

"Yashiro-san is just documenting Tsuruga's interaction with his co-stars! Surely it is not his fault to do his job?! If it weren't for that k- k-, intimate interaction, we wouldn't have been in the national news right now so it should be me that you fire!"

Yashiro smiled uneasily. He was indeed documenting. A very specific interaction, that is. And Kyoko-san, Yashiro added silently, it would have still made the national news. Ren was a famously elusive celebrity, the press had been trying to sniff him out for years.

Yashiro briefly wondered how much he would make as a simple salaryman when he made the mistake to look at President Takarada.

Takarada-Sachou made a face as if his favorite pet just died. Which, in one way or another, it might just have, considering that his hope of romance blooming between his favorite couple was quickly dashed to thousand pieces. Really, this stupid couple, moving at the pace of a snail!  
But he still had one small hope left.

"What of the kiss? I am sure my number one Love Me member just don't go around kissing guys."

The thought of Kyoko prancing around kissing guys painted a horrid picture in Kyoko's mind, and it was least of all welcome in Ren's mind.

Kyoko blushed and was offended by the sheer suggestion of it."I do NOT! "


	3. Take It All (In a Stride)

"Kyoko-san?"

Rina-san's voice effectively transported Kyoko back to the present: live interview, expectant audience, one shrew interviewer, and the craziness of it all. And back to square one.

"Thank you Rina-san." Did she just said thank you?

"But", Kyoko hastily added "The news is actually not true at all. We apologize for the riot we had caused."

That piece of information seemed to have taken Rina aback.

"Well, Kyoko-san, we certainly didn't expect that at all! Our experts had noticed no signs of fabrication, so it is very hard to discard the news as your regular gossip. One as far as suggested that both of you are in fact secretly married!"

Kyoko smiled apologetically. "The pictures are not fabricated. They are all actual pictures of Tsuruga-san and I from various movie sets. Tsuruga-san is also from LME and is my most respected senpai and friend." Well, at least the senpai part was not a lie, although the friend bit was pushing it. She hoped Tsuruga-san won't take offense.

Facing the audience, Rina announced dramatically "And there you go ladies and gentlemen, the simple truth! Male and female audiences all over Japan must be sighing in relief right now." Kyoko too sighed in relief internally.

"Although," Rina-san continued, "Since we haven't heard at all from Tsuruga-san and now that you've dismissed the gossip, we've gotten really curious about you, Kyoko-san. You've been the most searched about topic this week and for sure weeks to come, and we haven't been able to come up with a lot other than your filmography and the biodata released by your agency."

"Oohara-san, who co-starred with you in Dark Moon said that you're very talented and hardworking actress." That made Kyoko blush.

"That is very kind of her to say so" Kyoko smiled gratefully.

"In fact, we've heard similar testimony from Director Ogata, as well as Amamiya-san, your co-star in Box R. Kyoko-san that is very admirable of you." Rina smiled, and Kyoko blushed even more and felt to thank her co-stars.

"We also heard that you and Tsuruga-san are in fact very close and always seen together in Dark Moon, and some even claimed that you've known each other before then."

Her gratefulness cracked. She was happily walking right into Rina-san's trap. She should have known Rina-san wouldn't let her off that easily.

Who are these creative 'co-stars' anyways? How could anyone see Tsuruga-san and her being in anything more than a respectful senpai-kohai relationship? Could it be that Rina-san is putting words to their mouth? Kyoko demons started to resurface, but she schooled her face to keep her smiling mask on.

Rina trod on, unaware that the room temperature just dropped a couple degree "In fact, here is a statement that we received from a reliable source L-san, who prefers to remain anonymous:"

'Why is it such a surprise that they are together now? Anyone with eyes can see that Ren has been hopelessly in love with Kyouko-kun for a long time. - L'

That broke the proverbial string on Kyoko's back. Just who is this L person (who sounded suspiciously like Takarada-Sachou)? How dare that person insulted to Tsuruga-san! Any gratefulness that she had felt for her fellow actors went down the drain. If they want to create romance out of something, at least have the decency to not insult her senpai like that!

A loud ring broke Kyoko's grudging thought.

"We will go back to our conversation Kyoko-san, seems like we have our lucky caller today from one of the audience at home!," Kyoko nodded. Rina's Hot Seat always picked one of the audience's call to get real time reaction and had been the signature of the show for a long time. Rina addressed the caller "Good evening, this is Rina Todou, to whom am I speaking with this afternoon?"

"Call me Shou-sama."

Kyoko's demon fleet doubled.

Rina chuckled. "Thank you for calling, Shou-_sama_. Do you have a word or two for our esteemed guest today?"

"Hah! I knew there's no way a boring flat-chested girl like you would be able to get a boyfriend! You know he's a fraud, pin-head—HEY—STOP—*clack**beep*"

Kyoko was 200% sure that was Shoutaro calling. The bastard!

"We got disconnected, but I think Shou-sama was calling the wrong number there." The audience laughed. "But back to the topic, what do you think of L-san's comment saying that Tsuruga Ren is in love with you?"

"Rina-san, I am sure L-san here is just mistaking the act of a dutiful senpai for love."

"But-" Rina made a gesture to speak, but found herself unable to do so. The air around her was heavy as lead, as if her body was held by unseen dark force.

"Tsuruga-san has been a very good senpai and teacher to me. Out of his good heart, he had helped me a lot during Dark Moon. However, I am sure a guy of his stature already has a girl in mind. Perhaps a fairy-like girl, someone that is more fitting to be his girlfriend." Which reminded Kyouko, she might have just made a great mess in Tsuruga-san's life. What of the highschool girl that he was in love with? She could be in a great heartbreak right now! That thought in itself was enough to make Kyouko feel faint.

Rina was even more confused. A fairy? Does Tsuruga-san like girls who look like fairies? She tried speaking again and was glad to find that the oppressive feeling had somewhat disappeared.

"That is to say, Kyoko-san, _if_ he were not interested in anyone at the moment, would you be interested? We see a picture of you kissing this 'senpai', so should we take that as an interest to Tsuruga-san on your part?"

Now Rina-san is just trying to paint her as some kind of trollop. Is this interview ever going to end until she say, yes, she does romantically like Tsuruga Ren?

Kyoko crossed her leg and became Natsu.

"Rina-san", Kyoko purred, "I am sure any woman would be very happy to be Tsuruga-san's girlfriend." Kyoko smiled patronizingly, made a gesture to rise from her seat and closed her distance with her interviewer until there was none between her lips and Rina's cheek, a simple kiss. The audience gasped.

"Now," with predatory eyes, Kyoko drawled, "Should you take that as an interest on your person?"

Todou Rina (29) had interviewed many famous people, ranging from politicians much more experienced than herself up to blabbering 5 years old kid. She had prided herself in being able to bring out any information that she wanted and lead the course of the interview. Tonight, for the first time in her life, Rina felt pure terror and did not know what to say.

Kyoko smiled at her petrified prey. Natsu didn't think that her prey would be able to continue the interview. It was a good thing that the on-site crew noticed and gave a signal to end the interview.

"It is great to be able to talk with you tonight, Rina-san. I had a great time."

"T-thank you for coming here Kyouko-san" Rina-san automatically replied, and was dismayed to realize that she had messed up and that the show had come to an end. She quickly gathered herself together. "And to all of the audience, thank you for watching Rina's Hot Seat, as always. Have a great night!"

And that was the night that Kyoko became an overnight sensation.


	4. To Be With You

The difference was subtle at first, but Kyouko's life had indeed changed. It began with stolen looks, some attention garnered as she got in the train, some whispers as she walked by. Staring then turned into recognition, and recognition into action. More and more people wished to take a picture with her, asked her to sign their t-shirt, and may they touch her hair please? She had looked lovely as Natsu, or she looked so different in real life.

She began to avoid public places for fear of being mobbed by the crowd. Things that she used to be able to do freely now she must do in disguise. One day, her fan had even followed her home to Daruma-ya. The fan might or might not have known that the traditional restaurant was her home but Takarada-sachou and the Daruma-ya couple had agreed for safety's sake that it was her cue to move out to a more private space; she ended up renting an affordable studio unit located near LME so she won't have to commute, though walking to office would still be a bad idea.

And all of this happened in a span of a week.

'I'm a fad', Kyoko's mind inanely tried to make sense of her newfound fame 'Am I a monkey pulling one lucky trick?'.

On the other hand and to Kyoko's delight, offers for her flooded. Interviews, talk shows, dramas, modeling, and upcoming movies. The roles were a color wheel to choose from. It was any actor's dream, no matter how temporary it should last. Sawara-san even had to act as her manager and refuse some ineligible offers. Much to Kyoko's disappointment, she had to turn down a lot of offers to accommodate her contract for 'Skip Beat!', a live adaption of a viral online novel.

Also much to her disappointment, there wasn't a single princess role offered.

'Pft-' Tsuruga Ren made a gasping sound that sounds suspiciously like a surpressed laugh.

Kyouko frowned at her phone. "It's not something you should laugh about Tsuruga-san!" How rude. She really was hoping for that princess role.

Ren tried to stifle his laugh. "Mogami-san, I think I must congratulate you first. You are now the most popular star in Japan."

"You can take that title back! You must think it's funny how fickle people are, even though I'm just riding on your coattail."

"That's not what I thought at all," Though Ren did think it a little bit funny that the gossip started from Yashiro's matchmaking hobby. He almost laughed again, but could feel rather than see her glaring at him. The Kuon in him felt like teasing her. "I'm just amused because you used to scold me for not being aware of my fame. Seems like I must say the same to you now, Mogami-san."

Kyoko's mortification was complete. "Tsuruga-saannn please stop teasing me—"

Ren laughed. He was concerned for her safety initially, and had called Kyoko to make sure that everything is okay. He quickly found that that president Takarada was more than prepared for her newfound fame and had made sure that Kyoko was never alone in between sets and after work hours.

Not that Ren was complaining. Now that Kyoko was forbidden to take the train, the president had arranged for him to pick her up every morning, at least, until she got a manager assigned for her own. It was a blatant matchmaking attempt, and precarious at best considering the gossip going around, but it was a good replacement for his missing daily dosage of Kyoko now that the Heel siblings project ended and Kyoko's schedule filled up. Ren missed Kyoko more than he had cared to realize.

Which was why when the offer had came to Ren that morning, he had immediately accepted the role against all his common sense. Ren had known the gist of the role before accepting it, but as he read the script closely he knew the character hit too close to home. A man loving a younger woman. Secret pasts. Growing, repressed feeling. Kyoko. He sighed.

The day he'd accepted the script Yashiro had smiled eerily at him all day. The bespectacled manager kept on nudging his charge's sides at the smallest reminder of the upcoming drama. 'You lucky dog', his eyes had seemed to say.

Ren briefly wondered what had happened to the old Yashiro, the ever strict and professional Yashiro that he had worked with pre-Kyoko era. Ren was sure fangirling was not all that Yashiro does as his manager, but that sure seem to be occurring a lot these days.

"Tsuruga-san? Are you still there?"

"Yes I am. Mogami-san, I don't know if you've heard the news, but I look forward to working with you soon."

"Eh?" Kyoko was not aware there was any of her projects with Ren in it.

"I just signed the contract for the role Iwasaki Ken this morning."

"Eeehh? I thought they were planning to give that role to Kijima-san!" Or at least, the last time Kyoko had heard from director Kurosaki, he had mentioned that Kijima-san had unofficially agreed to co-star with her in 'Skip Beat!'. Her thought spun from the information overload.

Feigning hurt, or perhaps fishing for compliments, Ren replied "Could it be that you prefer Kijima-san over me?"

"Not at all! Um- I mean! I'm very excited to work with you, Tsuruga-san! This would be my first time officially co-starring with you. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" She bowed, belatedly realizing that Tsuruga-san shouldn't be able to see her bowing at him. She was about to co-star with the number one actor in Japan, and she was going to be the main lead! Just the thought of the possibilities and first-hand learning from the actor god himself made Kyoko's head swam.

Ren noticed her excitement and chuckled. Sometimes he worried his ego was going to burst from too much stroking, to be constantly put at pedestals as he did. "I look forward to your guidance as well, Mogami-san."

They ended up talking about their upcoming drama a bit more, and when it became too late, bid each other good night and he promised to pick her up in the morning.

That night Ren slept dreaming of Kyoko. _I am so happy to co-star with you, Ren!_ His dream Kyoko had said. In his dream he had blue eyes, Rick was not dead, and Kyoko, his sweet Kyoko, was never afraid of him. _Me too_, dream Ren had replied_. I'm happy just to be with you. _


	5. Alternate Universe

**2 Months Prior to Filming, LME**

At exactly 7am in the morning, Ren found himself in a makeshift Chinese imperial room inside of LME under a Chinese Emperor's scrutiny.

"I heard from Ushio that you've signed for Skip Beat?" said the Chinese Emperor.

If it were any other person, it would've been extremely hard for Ren to face a man in a Chinese emperor costume in the eye and take him seriously, but then Takarada-Sachou had been his boss for 4 years. "Hai, I've officially met him and signed the contract yesterday, Sachou."

"That's very rare of you to decide on it right on the spot, but I suppose it's a good thing that you did. They didn't think that you were going to accept the role. You should've heard how baffled Ushio was when he told me that you've accepted. Now he is going to have a hard time breaking the news to Kijima—"

"You are not going to ask why?" Ren hanged his head, for once feeling like a school boy bracing for reproach. "I must be putting you on a difficult spot, Sachou, picking this drama in the middle of all this gossips."

"You mean why you decided to star with Mogami-kun?"

Lory took Ren's silence as his reply.

"You know, I've always given all my talents freedom to choose their project. I am not going to ask why you chose Skip Beat –though I can pretty much guess why— but it was a good thing that you did. In fact, it was a BRILLIANT idea. "

Ren snapped his head to see Lory grinning deviously. He could almost see the gears turning around in his boss's head, which wasn't usually a good sign coming from him.

"Don't you just see it? It was all a marketing ploy to promote Skip Beat, it can always be! The pictures, the kiss, it was all released by your manager to build up the hype for your upcoming drama. Oh I can just see the press eating this up very easily. "

"What of Mogami-san's interview?" Ren cautiously asked. It was after all, the president's idea. It was scandal's rule of thumb, the president had said. In a relationship scandal, the girl needs to be the one to deny the relationship to maintain her image as the dumper instead of the dumpee.

"What of it?"

"Mogami-san had denied the claim so thoroughly when she could have said that it was all to promote her upcoming drama Skip Beat" Really, she could have toned it back a little bit. Even Ren was annoyed with how much she denied their non-relationship. "She even scared the hell out of the interviewer before she got the chance to ask her about Skip Beat. That couldn't be right."

"Really, Ren, you could use a little imagination" chided the president. "She was not Kyoko the LME actress. She was acting as Furukawa Kyoko from Skip Beat. Furukawa Kyoko didn't believe in love and could be scary as hell when threatened. With a little imagination, even I can believe it. After all, Furukawa Kyoko's character is very similar to Mogami-kun herself."

Ren stared at the president doubtfully.

**15 Days Prior to Filming, Director Kurosaki's Home**

Kurosaki Ushio viewed the stack of articles handed to him this morning and harrumphed in satisfaction.

'Super Couple to Co-Star in _Skip Beat!_'

'Tsuruga Ren and Kyoko, Couple on Stage',

'Director Kurosaki: It Was All Skip Beat',

'It's Official, Tsuruga Ren to Star As Iwasaki Ken'

The initial press conference for Skip Beat had been a huge success. Ushio would never have thought in a million years that Skip Beat would be under so much scrutiny before it had even started, or that the drama's main lead would happen to be the most talked about celebrity couple, more like non-couple, in Japan. He had hit a jackpot, and it was all well with him. _Less on the marketing budget, more to spend everything else._

Ushio had decided on Kyoko as soon as he had finished reading the novel some months ago – he could not have imagined anyone better to star as Furukawa Kyoko, if their given name was anything to go by. Iwasaki Ken, however, was a paradox.

Iwasaki Ken hid darkness that threatens to spill out, yet he was gentle in demeanor. Mature beyond his years, and still stubbornly childish to those he love. In love, but fearing love itself. Ushio had considered Tsuruga Ren too much of a gentleman to fit Iwasaki Ken's tortured past and too amiable to be childish, and yet Ren's interpretation of BJ had put a chill through his bones.

Ushio couldn't have asked for better main leads, or more famous one for that matter. He couldn't wait to begin the filming.

**15 Days Prior to Filming, Love Me Room**

Kyoko snorted in disgust as she read her script. The more she read about the Furukawa Kyoko, the less she understood her. It was not that she could not relate to her character. Far from it. Furukawa Kyoko was very similar to herself to the point that it was creepy. What she couldn't understand was the choices that she had made. It made Kyoko think someone must have knocked her really hard on the head.

Furukawa Kyoko was an ojou-sama that had inherited a small fortune from her father. She had begun her company with Amano Seiya, her fiancée and also owner of 50% of the company's share. He betrayed her. He took away the company she had worked so hard for and cheated on her with his secretary. She then planned her revenge to become an entrepreneur more influential than Seiya.

Demon Kyokos had made a brief appearance when she had read the script for the first time, but now she simply nodded with an added wisdom of a 100 years old man. _Thanks to a certain bastard, I know perfectly well where Furukawa Kyoko was coming from. _What she confused her to no end was her eventual decision to open her heart to another man, Iwasaki Ken, her mentor and Japan's number one tycoon.

"How can she be that stupid?!" Kyoko slapped down her script.

"She's just like monkey falling for the same trick twice!"

"Mo! It's just a light hearted shoujo novel, you shouldn't complain too much about her falling in love. It's the whole point of a shoujo plot!"

"But Moko-san, look here! She had sworn herself off love, but she goes doki-doki for her senpai right on that very same page! How much of a bimbo can she be!"

Kanae shuddered. "I would not want to associate myself with such a person."

Kyoko looked at her best friend as if she had taken away her lifeline.

"A-act as her if you must! I myself never understand women like her." She amended quickly. "You should probably discuss this with Director Kurosaki. He must have a vision of what the bimbo should be like."

Kyoko resignedly nodded.

15 more days until the filming, and Kyoko felt like banging her head to the nearest cemented wall.


	6. Alternate Universe (2)

A/N: Just found out that Kurosaki's given name is actually Ushio instead of Seiji.

**Meanwhile, Some Luxurious Apartment Unit in Tokyo**

Fuwa Shou flipped through the channels irritatedly. But then, everything seemed to irritate him these days. Like this morning when Shoko woke him up a tad too early. Or when his guitar string had suddenly decided to snap for no reason, hurting his index finger in the process. Now every time he strummed his guitar his finger had throbbed angrily. Even Pochiri seemed to realize that something was off with him, which annoyed him even more because she started to pester him more. And like now, especially now, when HIS TV unforgivingly flashed the pictures of the happiest couple in Japan (or so they say), which had happened A LOT lately. Like a moth drawn to flame, Shou couldn't take his eyes off the TV despite the images of Japan's favorite couple he loved to hate (heck, he'd hate-called in the middle of what was supposed to be confirm-the- relationship interview, but Shoko had to interfere and took his phone away).

'Reeen, I'm so cold.'

'Why, Kyouko-chan that can be remedied' *hugs Kyouko*

'Iyaa~an Ren-chan, I'm so embarrassed!'

Shou's facial muscle twitched.

"GAAAAH!" Shou flipped his coffee table to rid of his overactive imagination.

"…their relationship was apparently a marketing ploy for their upcoming drama 'Skip Beat!', to air nationwide early next year. Director Kurosaki has also confirmed this:

'It was all Skip Beat.' Director Kurosaki agreed, he gave no more comment as crowds of paparazzi mobbed him—"

Shou stared at the TV, looked at his battered coffee table, at the TV, and back at his coffee table.

He snorted, then started to laugh uncontrollably until tears came out of his eyes, his foot tapping the floor compulsively.

He was still on the floor shaking with laughter when Shouko came in. Shouko looked at her charge, shook her head, and sighed with relieve. _He is okay now._

**Toei Filming Studio**

* * *

_"SEEIIIYAAA! I gave you half my inheritance and my life, and you took away everything from me! You may have used me now, but watch it! I'm going to become someone more famous than you! MWAHAHAH," Furukawa Kyouko laughed hysterically. Darkness seemed to shroud her even though there was no special effect used._

* * *

"OK, CUT!" Director Kurosaki shouted. "-And that put a wrap to the betrayal scene. Yasu-san, Mari-san, I love how scared you guys look! That was some great expression Kyouko-san, great job. " _More like some really_ scary_ expression_, Ushio inwardly added, trying to reign his glee. As a good director he had been keeping track of her growth as an actress once he saw her talent at the Kyurara commercial. As always, he wasn't disappointed. _How interesting._

"We're going to have that scene polished and hopefully we'll be able to use it for the preview. Yasu-san, let's have scenes of you and Kyouko-san finished up as much as we can in the next couple of weeks before Tsuruga-san arrives. Good work everyone!"

"You were great, Kyouko-san. You were really scary just now. I still have goose bumps at the back of my neck." Yasu jokingly complained.

"I have you to thank for that, Yasu-senpai. Your Seiya had provoked my character into that state." _If I didn't know better, I would have thought he had met Shoutaro some time in his life. _Kyouko shook her head and suppressed her demons from surfacing. After all, Yasu's friendly existence had made her transition into the project much easier.

Kyouko loved her new coworkers, and director Kurosaki's reckless style that had somehow turned things into work of art was an experience to beheld.

_You should probably discuss this with Director Kurosaki. He must have a vision of what the bimbo should be like_. Kyouko could hear Kanae's voice reproaching her. Truth to be told, she hadn't completely figured out Furukawa Kyouko yet, and she didn't know how long her current acting would last her. Dread clawed her gut as Kyouko said her thanks to Yasu and made a beeline for the director.

"Furukawa Kyouko was behaving normally, I don't see why you're so confused, Kyouko-san."

"But–!"

Director Kurosaki grunted and gulped down his beer. "I get your concern Kyouko-san, but Furukawa Kyouko was in love. A person in love disregard her logic, even if she know what she's doing would hurt her."

_Just like when I was with Shou_, Kyouko thought sadly.

Ushio looked at the budding actress and realized what the LME president had meant by her 'missing emotion'. Kyouko's face was so wrenched he knew she must have been trying to hold back her tears. She had looked so young and vulnerable then, it almost made him feel sorry to break the news. Almost.

"Kyouko-san, as your director I will help in anyway I can, but I always like to see things flow rather than dictate how you should act. That'd be the death of art. I'll leave it up to you as an actress to figure out Furukawa Kyouko." He patted her on the shoulder.

"My gut feeling says you'll be able to figure this one out, and I've always trusted my luck. If not, then let's just say that we're all doomed." Ushio's eyes were not laughing as he smiled sinisterly. Kyouko blanched.

_There must be some kind of history behind that sadness_. Ushio couldn't help but be curious. It then struck him that Kyouko had never acted any roles with romantic interests. Counting the number of romantic scenes the drama had on top of his head, Ushio now felt like crying.

Over the next few days, Ushio kept a close watch on his main lead.

* * *

_SEIYA: 'Let's build an empire together, Kyouko. You and I. I wouldn't have asked anyone else but you.' _

_(Kyouko was looking constipated. It came out straight from her dream, the love of her life practically proposing her.)_

_KYOUKO: 'Un!'_

* * *

'CUT!'

"Kyouko-san, the love of your life was just proposing to you. You shouldn't look so stressed out."

"Hai, Kurosaki-Kantoku" Kyouko managed, putting tight rein over her resurfacing demons. The pre-betrayal scenes was a lot more exhausting than she thought, and an embarrassing reminder of how stupid she had been. Kyouko really would rather not emulate them if she were to have the choice. As it was, she didn't, and painful as it was, a job was a job.

"Ok, let's do a retake. Ready, Action!"

Unexpectedly, the filming went smoothly and Ushio breathed in relief. There weren't a lot of retakes, and the few that did require retakes were resolved quickly. _Too early to celebrate_. All he could do now is to keep a close watch on his main lead actress for the earliest sign of breakdown.


	7. Alternate Universe (3)

Mogami Kyouko (16) was scared to death. That day, also fondly remembered as 'the day the great Tsuruga Ren snapped' in the years to come, had started out a rather normal day.

"It's today isn't it?"

"Do you think I'd get his signature?"

"It would be my first time seeing him in person!"

The studio seemed to buzz alive that morning, and Kyouko couldn't help but feel the same. Her senpai will be arriving in a few hours and she will be acting opposite of him soon! She couldn't keep the smile off her face. _Though he'll be very disappointed at me once he finds out that I haven't figured out my character yet_. She bent down in gloom and began tracing some random pattern using her finger.

_But he might be able to give some advise!_, Kyouko brightened up,_ …probably_ _after he had flayed me alive_. She shuddered in fear of the reappearance of the demon king.

The director raised an eyebrow and wondered at her sanity.

If there was one person who did not pay attention to any of Kyouko's quick shifting mood that would be Honami Makino, who were already used to Kyouko's antics from Box-R and who just very recently joined the set as Furukawa Kyouko's best friend. Honami trod on. "Kyouko-chan, you must be very excited! I heard you and Tsuruga-san are very close friends."

_Very close friends!_ Kyouko panicked. It must be because of her reckless choice of word at the interview! What if all of them presume that the great Tsuruga-san was her _close friend_? Kyouko lamented her dire mistake and grasped Honami's hands as if her life depended on them.

"Honami-san, how can I, a mere kohai, ever hope to aspire such place of equality?"

"Um- Kyouko-chan?"

Kyouko proceeded to remedy the misconception in a great tirade of kohai modesties, of lethal living weapon aimed at females, and of demon killing auras. "….He is the great, no, the _greatest_ actor of all Japan, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie!" Kyouko finished her tirade in one breath.

"I- I understand, you guys are not friends. Senpai and kohai." Kyouko could be so much like Mio sometimes, it scared the hell out of Honami.

"_Exactly_!"

"So it's true then, you guys are not going out? Not even close?" Yasu chimed in. "Well, you did deny it, but I heard from Momose-san it could be cover-ups."

"No, we are NOT!"

* * *

_"Senpai and kohai."_

"Exactly!"

_"So it's true then, you guys are not going out? Not even close?" _

_"No, we are NOT!"_

Stumbling upon such conversation, Yashiro was not sure if he should really step in. He slowly stole a look at his charge's reaction. Ren's face was an unreadable mask as always, but having been Ren's manager for years, Yashiro knew better.

Indeed, something inside of Ren snapped. After all this time Ren thought that _at least_ Kyouko would think of him as a friend, and a little hopefully, as a man. Heck, they had lived together for quite awhile during their time as Heels siblings. She even had left (or attempted to leave) a hickey on him, Kyoko, the queen of modesties! That had got to mean something. To hear all that passionately denounced to the simple status of a senpai yet again, Ren started to wonder if that status was ever going to change. Was that all he was worth in Kyouko's heart? A distant _senpai_?

"Ee~h?" Ren tried to maintain his persona and smiled, but felt bitterness slipped out of his mouth.

_Yikes! What a nasty tone! _Yashiro's gut was screaming 'run!'.

"Tsu-tsuruga-san!"

She may have called him Tsuruga-san, but there wasn't much of the gentlemanly Tsuruga-san left in him. Kyouko mechanically turned to the glorious brightness that was Ren's prickly gentlemanly smile. Kyouko demons awakened, smelling the sweet aroma of anger emitting from her senpai.

"Mogami-san, it's good to see you again." Ren turned to address Yasu and Honami and smiled apologetically. "Sorry for butting into the conversation, Yasu-san, Honami-san, but I can't help but overhear my name being mentioned a lot."

Honami blushed and Yasu shifted awkwardly at being caught gossiping.

"Hm-?" Ren prompted one more time.

"Ts-tsuruga-san, you're here early!" Kyouko managed to steer the conversation away, from what she didn't know, but she wasn't so suicidal as to entertain the thought. Was it possible that he was mad about her slip at the interview?

"We finished the shoot early because I was looking forward to work on Skip Beat... but I didn't realize the feeling was one-sided, Mogami-san." Ren's voice dropped a couple degrees, freezing the vicinity and panicking general bystanders, who were feeling a huge urge to leave the area.

Yasu was first. "Uh- I think I heard someone calling me."

"M-me too" Honami followed.

As a good manager, Yashiro fought the urge. He got some damage control to work on later, after all, every eyes in the studio was watching the couple closely.

_One-sided_? Kyouko was not sure she was following and sputtered an articulate "EH—?"

"After all, we were _but_ a senpai and kohai." Ren scathed the words as if it was bile in his mouth but regretted the words as soon as they left him.

_No!_ Kyouko wanted to say, but no words came out of her mouth. She shook her head as if that could made everything that her senpai said untrue. _No, that was not what she meant when she said senpai and kohai. He was the great Tsuruga Ren! She was not worthy to be his friend!_ But the great Tsuruga Ren's face was such a mixture of pain and frustration that her heart squeezed painfully. Tears came out unbidden instead.

Ren turned his face away. He was being childish. Kyouko couldn't have known that he wanted more out of their relationship, even when he didn't have the right to. He never said it; never planned to say it. His wrist throbbed painfully under Rick's watch and self-hatred kicked in almost as strong his own anger. He hated himself all the more for it.

"I— I need to cool my head." Ren left the studio and everyone in the room breathed again.

The studio yet again buzzed alive with speculations of the drama that just enfolded. Ushio Kurosaki watched the whole exchange and couldn't help but be amused. _Oho~_, he mused, _what do we have here? Isn't it real life Furukawa Kyouko and Iwasaki Ken? _Seemed like the goddess of luck hadn't left him yet.


	8. The Great Mistake

_Iwasaki Ken was not amused. He replied distastefully, only because otherwise she wouldn't leave._

_KEN: "Your reason stinks, Furukawa-san."_

_KYOUKO: "You! How dare—Just because you're the great Iwasaki Ken! I'm offering free labor and you threw it right back at my face!"_

_KEN: "Good bye. Security, usher her out."_

_KYOUKO: "WAIT!" _

_Furukawa Kyouko grabbed his coat, but Ken quickly shrugged it off, leaving her agape with a piece of costly coat she wanted nothing to do with_

_The security guards quickly approached her as Kyouko flung the coat to the nearest trash bin, her blood boiling. _

_As the guards kicked her out of the building, she shouted as loud as her lungs would allow, hoping that the conceited man would hear her words._

_KYOUKO: "Just wait, Iwasaki Ken! I will be a greater entrepreneur than you! Just wait!"_

* * *

Ah, how the scene reminded Kyouko of her first meeting with the great Tsuruga Ren. Come to think of it, her reason to enter the showbiz world really did stink. It was no wonder that her senpai was so mad at her back then. After all the time it took for him to finally warm up to her, she just had to go and ruin it all today. Just her luck.

"Make-up team, please fix Tsurugan-san's hair. It got ruffled earlier when he took off the coat." The director shouted.

For the nth time, Ren could feel Kyouko's nervous gaze boring into his back. In fact, it wasn't just Kyouko. Everyone at the studio seemed to be holding their breath for some sort of reaction, any kind of reaction, from him.

Ren had apologized to the director and the rest of the crews for his irresponsibility, although he didn't explain much of his action. He could hear them speculating, perhaps that the great Tsuruga Ren was finally in love? Why else would he storm out of the studio out of some petty reason, a man as calm as Tsuruga Ren? And did Kyoko deny him relationship? The speculations were endless, he knew he'd have to apologize to his boss and manager later but couldn't care less. His heart lurched painfully every time his mind replayed what just happened.

He'd made her cry. He swallowed his thought, the thought gnawing his mind like a barb against his skin, and prepared for the next scene.

* * *

_Iwasaki Ken respected her perseverance, because above all he was a businessman and perseverance made him where he was today. But still a thought was gnawing his mind. He knew the girl. Somewhere in his mind he recognized that determined look._

_KEN: "Kyouko.."_

_He tried her name and indeed, the name sounded familiar. It was the name of his childhood crush. How could he had forgotten that? Was it possible? How could someone so sweet change so much?_

_Despite himself, he smiled._

* * *

"CUT!"

And majority of the female population in the studio just went to heaven from Tsuruga Ren's divine smile.

_No wonder this guy cost so much_, Ushio begrudgingly allowed. _That_, on the other hand, was a serious piece of work.

"That was great work everyone, thank you for today."

Ren glanced to the crumpled heap on the floor that was Kyouko, mumbling things like 'deadly weapon' and how everyone was 'disintegrating'. He wasn't sure what she was referring to, but they didn't sound very welcoming. Ren gathered himself.

_I have to apologize. I'll take her out to dinner, then apologize. _

"Mogami-san"

"Hmm?" Kyouko half-heartedly glanced at her source of discomfort. After all, she wasn't so suicidal as to risk facing that deathly smile again.

"Mogami-san, I—"

"Kyouko-san!"

Then: "Are we still up for the dinner tonight?"

Ren meaningfully eyed the rude intruder, whom, to Ren's great surprise turned out to be Director Kurosaki. _Wait, did he just say dinner? Also, isn't he a little too old for her? _Not that he can't say the same about himself, but still.

The director smirked at him, not in a way that was offensive; to someone as confident as Ushio Kurosaki it simply constituted his smiles. For this one particular occasion however, that smirk pissed Ren off more than anything. Although Ren knew that Director Kurosaki was a professional, though one could never tell from first glance, Ren couldn't help but smiled back at him with a little too much glitter.

"We should leave right now Kyouko-san, apologies, we ran up a bit behind schedule."

_Though you can blame your lover's spat with Tsuruga-san over there, _Ushio mentally added. "Tsuruga-san, good work to you today."

Ren nodded in acknowledgement, still smiling at the director although his eyes never left him.

"Un, I'll get ready, director." Kyouko replied hurriedly.

Kyouko glanced at Ren nervously, and Ren distantly remembered of their cut off conversation.

He really wished he could keep Kyouko all to himself.

"It's fine Mogami-san. Go ahead." Ren managed a smile.

Kyouko bit her lip. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it, we'll still be here tomorrow."

"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow Tsuruga-san"

"Good work, Mogami-san."

As Ren watched her disappear from his sight, he sighed. _Tomorrow. That guy better not be making any move on her._

* * *

Director Kurosaki glanced at the girl in front of him, who was clearly uncomfortable with the isolated atmosphere of the restaurant. The place reminded Kyoko of the Fuuwa's ryokan, and having been serving in the ryokan and Darumaya, she could tell how very upscale the restaurant was. This would not end well for her wallet. Feeling the director stare at her, Kyouko squirmed even more.

"First time here?" Ushio took out cigarette and his lighter and made a small gesture for an ashtray to their private waiter. The young actress distantly reminded him of an awkward rooster he once watched in a TV show.

"I'm so sorry, director! I should've dressed up better. I didn't know that we were going to eat at such a fancy place. "

Ushio stared at her. When not acting, the girl was almost ordinary. She was clearly not used to the glamorous side of the entertainment industry nor was she made for it, and yet he was not mistaken about Tsuruga Ren's feeling for her.

Ushio didn't like to remember the uncomfortable feeling he had felt when the top actor had stared at him. His gut wouldn't lie. At that moment, he had felt an almost predatory intent directed at him._ No hard feelings, Tsuruga-san. It's all business from this point on._

"Director?"

"Ah yes. You're dressed fine, Kyouko-san. You're probably not used to all the fame yet, but regular restaurants are a big no-no for you; the folks will mob you to death there. They know me here so it should be no problem."

Kyouko belatedly recalled her senpai's ridiculous suggestion on using the public transit to avoid traffic and realized that fame indeed is a tricky thing.

The waiter came back with Ushio's ashtray and quietly folded herself in seiza near the shoji door to await for any orders.

"Omakase, 2 sets. Genshu sake for me. Drinks Kyouko-san?"

_O-omakase? _Kyouko gulped. "Um, water for me." Hopefully she could still afford the bill.

The director continued to watch her, as he had been doing the past couple of days. Indeed Kyouko was a bundle of talents waiting to be unleashed, but for her fatal weakness. She refused to see herself as someone worthy to be loved by anyone. Which was really what Furukawa Kyouko was all about. _Skip Beat!_ was the story of Furukawa Kyouko conquering that very same weakness. The question was, can Kyouko the actress do it?

"Kyouko-san, what do you think of Tsuruga-san?"

Kyouko was confused by the sudden turn of conversation, but brightly answered anyways. "He is the greatest actor in Japan, and I aspire to be like him one day! Not that I could ever surpass him, he is very talented and is very hard working!"

"Right." There again, the senpai-barrier he had seen her enact today.

"He blew up unprofessionally today though?"

"NO! It was not his fault! That… it was completely my fault." Kyouko hung her head. "I.. called him my friend in an interview." Then the thought occurred to her. "Could it be- was that why you called me here?"

"Have you thought that maybe he is okay with that? Perhaps.. he was angry about something else entirely?" Ushio inhaled his cigarette slowly, totally ignoring her question. "He did mention that his _feeling_ was one-sided." He made sure to emphasize the word 'feeling'.

Tsuruga-san _did _mention that. Kyouko didn't get that part either. It _almost_ sounded as if he wanted to be more than just a senpai for her, which sounded really ridiculous right? Why would someone like Tsuruga-san want anything at all with someone like her?

"What do you do if a guy confesses his love to you?"

Director Kurosaki really ask the most random thing sometimes. She really couldn't follow his train of thought. "Is this a potential script?"

"You can think of it that way"

"Um, in that case, may I know the background of my character?"

"Let's say she's a girl your age. Her mind is set on revenge, and because of past hurt, she refuses to acknowledge love."

"Are you talking about Furukawa Kyouko?"

"I'm talking about someone who's afraid to love. What will you do?"

_Afraid to love…. sounds familiar_, Kyouko thought. Furukawa Kyouko was indeed afraid to love. What did she do in her case? She ignored the confession completely, didn't she? In the later part when Iwasaki Ken-san so obviously fell for her, she continuously ignored his advances and dismissed it as a senpai's care.

"I would say I would have done it the way Furukawa Kyouko did. Ignore it as best possible, to the point of self-brainwash, because she is afraid of going into the thought that he loves her for fear of disappointing herself." Kyouko readily answered.

"Good." _So she _does_ know what she's talking about_. "Assuming that, why does she finally decide to fall for him, knowing that she could be hurt for the second time? Ofcourse, she doesn't know that her love is actually reciprocated."

"That- !" _That was my question to you, Director!_, Kyouko pouted. _You said I have to think of it for myself, but now you're asking me that question again. Are you making fun of me?_

"I'm not making fun of you."

_M-mind reader? _

"I'm asking you because that question is crucial to the success of _Skip Beat_."

Kyoko hung her head resignedly.

"These past few days I tried putting myself on her shoes, because we've had had a similar past… but exactly because of that I can't see why she would repeat the same mistake again.

"If I were her, I would _never _fall in love again. It is such a dumb thing to put yourself out so vulnerably like that!" Kyouko grimly remembered serving Sho back in her love-filled past. She shivered in disgust.

_Now we're getting nowhere. _Ushio changed tactic. "Let's say that I'm confessing my love to this A-san, who is afraid of love."

Kyouko nodded and started to branch out the possibilities in her head.

"If A-san knows that I'm in love with her, and she in love with me, would she date me in spite of her fear?"

Kyouko thought of many things. Married couples from Darumaya growing old together. Sho. Her mom, the dad she never knew. Tsuruga-san.

Tsuruga-san.

"Kyouko-san, if you were A-san, would you?"

"Kurosaki-kantoku, I think there is no such thing as mutual love. At least for someone like me there isn't."

"So sure about that, aren't you, Kyouko-san?" _Such a tough nut to crack. _Well, at least he's got the president's permission. _Here goes nothing_.

"Well, Kyouko-san, I'm about to ask you something and I want to you think about it as an offer for an experiment and nothing personal. "

As Director Kurosaki explained his offer, the food arrived one by one, each one more delicious than the other. Kyouko couldn't taste a more delicious food, and yet there was so much thought going in her head because of Director Kurosaki's proposal that she couldn't really remember what she had eaten that day, much less think about the food's bill.

"I want this project to succeed. I want you to succeed. Think about what I just said."

Kyouko's head spun.

_Mogami Kyouko-san. Would you date me?_


	9. Nothing is For Free

(Flashback, 1 day prior)

_"Mogami Kyouko-san. Would you date me?"_

_"…."_

_"…Date (desert fruit)?"_

_"No, date (boyfriend and girlfriend)"_

_Kyouko frowned and ordered for more water. _

_"Here, some water. I think you've drunk too much wine, Director. That much smoke and drinking couldn't be good for your health."_

_"Tsk."_

_Kyouko gaped. Did he just tsk-ed me?_

_"This is exactly what I'm talking about. You're behaving exactly like Furukawa Kyouko, and I'm not even confessing my love to you. So annoying."_

Wha-What did he just SAY?_ Kyouko felt her facial muscle twitching. _

_ "Remember what I just said. This is nothing personal. An experiment, if you will."_

_"Experiment?"_

_"You're scared of love right? That's just good because you would be able to embody the past Furukawa Kyouko, but you still haven't figured out why Furukawa Kyouko decided to fall in love."_

_"And how is that related?"_

_"As long as you're scared of love, the least you could do is fake it. We can learn that in this experimental relationship. Let me bet: you've always turned your sight away from lovey-dovey couples right, _Furukawa Kyouko-san_?"_

_Kyouko twitched at his mocking tone. How does he know that anyways?_

_"Faking is also an important actor's skill. We can't all have experienced everything, but faking puts you closer to understanding what you should be feeling."_

_"Plus", Ushio continued, "no one's going to fall for anyone here, so you can let go of that fear of yours and start paying attention to normal couple's interaction."_

_"Was this the president's idea?" Kyouko warily asked._

Sharp, isn't she? _"Partly. Though I did offer myself in."_

_Kyouko sat up straight and looked at him suspiciously, as if the director is about to sexually harass her any moment._

_"Hey, watch it with that attitude. I'm still your senior."_

_"Why did you?"_

_Ushio huffed his cigarette. "Well, for starters, who would refuse a cute high school girlfriend with no string attached?" _

_'He sounded like a hentai ojii-san…', Kyouko warily thought. Kyouko started to wonder if she was the crazy one for thinking the idea was weird._

_"Plus I'm the senior here so I definitely have more experience in love. And I'll be the one to make sure that nothing weird or sexy will surface. My life is hard enough as it is, I don't need to add drama to it." _

_Kyouko raised an eyebrow at the word 'sexy'. _

_Well, Ushio inwardly amended, the plan was to actually ask lover boy to be her experimental boyfriend, considering that he was her co-star and that he must have a lot of experience with women. Seeing how whipped he was though, that was just no good. He'll scare the hell out of her before anything even begun, plus complications in the set he'd rather not think about. Which brought him to another point._

_"On that note, let's keep this a secret as well" _Especially from Tsuruga-san_, he mentally added. "I don't wanna turn away my potential suitors. Us single men has it tough, you know."_

_Kyouko seemed to be thinking hard, and was no longer listening to him. _

_Ushio gave her the time to._

_"I want this project to succeed. I want you to succeed. Think about what I just said."_

_The director signaled for the waiter to come. _

_"Bill this to my old man."_

* * *

"…mi-san"

"Mogami-san! You're spilling it"

"Oh! O…Ah! I'm so sorry Tsuruga-san! I'm dirtying the table!"

"It's fine, it's just water. I'll wipe it off. More importantly, is something on your mind?"

"It's-"

_\- On that note, let's keep this a secret as well - _

"It's fine. Just thinking of what kind of dinner I should cook" Kyouko pulled a smile.

"Anything you make is good, Mogami-san. I think I'm spoiled by your cooking."

"Jya-! If you don't mind, I'll check what you have in your fridge, Tsuruga-san"

"I told you, I'm fine with take outs too, you know." Ren gently reminded her.

Kyouko pouted "You barely eat anything healthy, and since you've picked me up everyday to work, the least I can do is cook for you, Tsuruga-san."

"Just stay there, and leave it to me." Kyouko shouted on her way to the kitchen.

"Yes ma'am" Tsuruga Ren inwardly smiled. Not that he minded, her cooking was the only food he could enjoy lately. He was more worried about burdening her and what she'd find inside his fridge (usually next to nothing).

Ren had invited Mogami-san for dinner under the pretext of practicing the script, although what he truly needed was apologize to her. However, ever since her arrival at his place she'd been acting weird, as if there's something weighing down her mind. Was it something that was said during her dinner with the director?

Feeling that his thought was heading nowhere, Ren decided to practice the script aloud while waiting.

* * *

_KEN: "What is love anyways... it sounds so shady." (drinks another cup of sake)_

_SUSHI CHEF: *shrugged nonchalantly*_

_KEN: "Everyone of them said that I don't love them. Even though I've done everything they asked."_

_SUSHI CHEF: *Answered noncommittally that Ken seemed to be the type that would be popular with the ladies*_

_KEN: (snorts). "Yeah right."_

_OUTSIDE THE RESTAURANT_

_KEN: "Love eh? I wish there's somekind of handbook on love."_

_Ken sarcastically asked no one in particular, half tipsy over a series of light _sake _in front of a sushi bar he recently frequented at. Little did he know that it was Furukawa Kyouko standing right next to him, wearing a tuna-head mascot._

_KYOUKO: "You're asking a Tuna what's love?"_

Ren turned to see Kyouko joining him at the dinner table. In front of him sat freshly cooked hot stew and agedashi tofu. Kyouko was now Furukawa Kyouko.

_Ken shrugged. _

_KEN: "Does that make me worse than a tuna?"_

_KYOUKO: "This is the second time you've asked me strange question, Mister."_

_KEN: (Chuckles) "It's stranger that I can say these things freely to you, Maguro-san*. I apologize for asking you strange questions." [A/N: Maguro = Tuna]_

_Furukawa Kyouko wondered how Iwasaki Ken could be polite when he wanted to be, and strangely mature too. How different his treatment was when he saw her as Furukawa Kyouko._

_KYOUKO: "Love… hm.. for example, there will be little things that will make you happy... It's simply just that."_

_KEN: "Happiness…"_

_KYOUKO: "…."_

_KEN: "…in what way?"_

_KEN: "…"_

_KYOUKO: "…"_

_KEN: "…"_

_KYOUKO: "PFT-!"_

* * *

Kyouko tried to hold her laughter until tears came out of her eyes. _T-The conversation is repeating! _

Ren, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought, if not a bit confused at her strange reaction. _This script sounded very familiar. Could it be the chicken-?_

"Mogami-san, why are you laughing?" Ren asked, irritated for reasons he couldn't identify. He felt like she was laughing at him, though he couldn't tell why.

_Oops, he looks miffed. _"N-no. It just reminded me of someone I know."

"Was it a chicken perhaps?"

The question passed Ren's lips before he knew it, and Kyouko effectively froze in place.

Her stiffness caught Ren off-guard. _She knows the chicken! That explains her reaction just now. Did the chicken tell her everything?_

"Do you know the chicken, Mogami-san?" Ren asked, smiling, with extra wattage added.

"Eh…. I…. " Kyouko averted her eyes.

"You...?" Ren prompted while maintaining his gentlemanly smile directed at her, full-blast.

Kyouko's demon antennae ran wild and Kyouko decided that that day, Mogami Kyouko (16), was ready to be flayed alive.

"….I'M SO SORRY TSURUGA-SAN!" Kyouko proceeded to bow down on a dogeza.

"Becauseatthattimeyouseemedsosadandyouwouldn'twanttoshareitwithyourjuniorIdecidedtopretendassomeoneelseI'msosorrryyyTsuruga-sannnn"

"Wait, calm down Mogami-san."

"Because… (sniff) Tsuruga-san, I wanted to help because you had looked so troubled, but If you know it's me, you wouldn't have let me help you because I was hated.."

"Hated… I would never!" Ren stood up from his seat and suddenly it dawned on him. _Wait a minute. Is she saying that—_

"You'd bullied me a lot back then, Tsuruga-san. You've even tricked me into scoring negatively on my love-me book" Kyouko reprimanded him.

"Uh…" _I guess there were those moments as well, _Ren sheepishly thought. _But more importantly!_ "Mogami-san. Are you saying that _you are_ Bo?"


	10. Chicken and Stars

_"Mogami-san. Are you saying that _you_ are Bo?"_

Tsuruga Ren stood still, with a blank expression on his face. Kyouko wondered if it was what people often call the calm before the storm.

"Ano.. Tsuruga-san?"

Ren blinked, as if he didn't realize that she had been standing there in the past few minute.

"Tsuruga-san?"

* * *

_"What- You won't admit the reason why you can't accept my explanation?" Bo, the guy in the chicken suit, had asked him warily. _

_Ren had thought that the chicken was annoyingly persistent that day. He had just begun to accept to himself that he was attracted to Mogami-san, no thanks to the chicken – he'd think he'd be happier not knowing, thank you very much – but to call that attraction _love_? _

_"That person…is still a high school student." He heard himself say, and true enough, because it was the only reason he could think of to not pursue the awkward conversation._

_Ren definitely didn't expect the chicken to cry tears of joy. It was as if Ren had just admitted to overcoming a long-drawn mid-life crisis and not to liking someone much younger than himself it was nearly illegal. Ren wondered if the guy inside the suit was right in the head._

_"Why aren't you happy? Isn't the character of the drama you're in also in love with a highschool student?" the chicken asked rather persistently. _

_"16, that's great! She can get married at age 16, even the government recognizes her as an adult!_

_"SEDUCE HER!"_

* * *

_THAT chicken… was Mogami-san?_

"Tsuruga-san?"

Kyouko twisted her skirt in apprehension. Maybe being advised by his much younger kouhai struck a blow to his pride?

"Tsuruga-san?" Kyouko tried again.

This time, Ren seemed to have heard her voice.

The actor feebly made a move for his seat, hung his head, and sighed.

_"I'm sooo sorry Tsuruga-san!"_

_"So you've been secretly laughing behind my back… How was it, was it enjoyable?"_

_"N-nooo Tsuruga-san, it's nothing like that-" _

_"A mere kouhai like you, preaching love to someone as experienced as me, the Great Tsuruga Ren. I'm disgusted. I don't want to see you ever again!"_

'NWOOOOOOO' She braced herself for an explosion, her hands covering her face for fear of the wrath that have yet to made an appearance.

"So you've been secretly laughing behind my back…" Tsuruga Ren darkly muttered.

_He's saying it!_ Kyouko's mind whirled._ My imagination is coming true! _

"I didn't mean to hide it from you senpai! I really didn't! I was just…."

"You were just?"

"I was just –your kouhai… You wouldn't have told your story to me" Kyouko looked down and realized she had been tangling and untangling her hands to help ease her nerve.

Kyouko was half-expecting her senpai to lash out at her, or worse, severe their senpai-kouhai relationship. Instead, Kyouko's anger antennae was strangely quiet and she was not sure what to make of it as the actor in front of her drew a long sigh yet again.

"All your secrets are safe with me! I promise, I would not tell a single soul!"

Kyouko stared at him, holding a fist to her heart.

Tsuruga Ren had always thought there was always some glittery quality about her eyes that made him think of princes and the fairy kingdom. The way she bowed her head as she greeted the king of hamburgers, made out of stone, like it was the most precious thing on earth. It was always her eyes. They make him believe he could do anything, and be anything she wants him to be. Even a fairy. Even her prince. How silly.

"Thank you. I do trust you Mogami-san"

"Then if Bo was me…"

Ren stared at her drily.

"Um! I meant-" Kyouko blushed at her wording mistake "-if it was just me sitting there, no costumes or disguises whatsoever, Tsuruga-san, would you have told me your problem?"

"I wouldn't have."

Crack.

"You're a woman Mogami-san, I couldn't possibly…"

"That is, I—… huh" He realized his hands were shaking. He schooled himself to stop. The shaking stopped.

"I—I love that highschool girl. So much. More than you could ever realize."

Stab. Right there, just a little above her heart. Kyouko could feel it, as if someone punctured her heart open with a knife and then twisted it cruelly.

"I love her, Mogami-san. I really do." He looked at her in the eyes, hoping for her to get the meaning across. Hoping against the impossible.

"I love her."

Kyouko had never had a heart attack, but if she did, she was sure it would feel like that moment. She had the irrational feeling to tear this lucky high school girl apart just to stop the pain. That girl, or herself. Why was Tsuruga-san doing that to her?

She eyed her senpai warily. He was still looking at her with that trust that always made her want to be irrational. As if she could trust her whole world to him and it would all be alright. But it wouldn't. She knew it wouldn't. She had once given up her whole world, and her world was torn to pieces. She couldn't have possibly torn herself to pieces again, because, what was there to tear if everything was already a ruin?

"That's great, Tsuruga-san." A lie. It was never something she was good at. But then she _was _an actress. She'd made lying her profession. What a paradox.

"You should tell that high school girl. She must be very happy."

"Is she now?" Ren looked at her with that odd look that made her think he was laughing, but his voice broke as if he had just cried.

Kyouko nodded, because she was starting to lose track of the conversation. Are they still talking about the high school girl?

"Are you?"

"What?" Kyouko shook her head as if to clear scales out of her eyes.

"Are you happy?"

She cocked her head.

"About what?"

Her senpai stood up, his long limbs reaching for her face. His spidery fingers touched her cheek and it was warm. Kyouko stared. Stared. Stared.

"About this"

She was still staring when his eyes found hers and they were smiling, like a pair of bright molten stars just for her. She was still staring when his face were just inches from hers.

He stared back at her, only because he needed to see if she would run away from him, because in that case he would need his eyes to react a second faster than her. He stared at her because he needed to know if she'd approve of this, if she would scream that she'd hate him forever. He stared at her because he's afraid that she would punch him in the face.

But she continued to stare, stare, stare at him, and he didn't know what to make of it.

So he just closed his eyes and kissed her. Kissed her long and tenderly, because he had always loved her just so.

Her eyes, her brightness, her childlike trust.

Her perseverance, her diligence, her modesty.

He loved her, and he was about to lose everything.

And yet he couldn't do a single thing about it but to kiss her.

That moment, a moment too late and completely at her mercy, Ren knew he had fallen too deep and there was no turning back.


	11. What Have I Done?

_He loved her, and he was about to lose everything. _

_And yet he couldn't do a single thing about it but to kiss her._

_That moment, a moment too late and completely at her mercy, Ren knew he had fallen too deep and there was no turning back._

Glazed eyes, tangled limbs, and soft hairs.

Huh. Kyouko glanced at her right hand, and indeed, it was hidden beneath mass of black hairs, and some blond roots that passed Kyouko's attention at the moment. She continued her ministration to the mop of hair, liking the feeling of those soft locks running under her fingers.

"Kyouko", she heard a voice say. Tsuruga-san's, her addled brain supplied. It did sound like him, though the voice had sounded rather hoarse. He sounded like he had just eaten too much candies, she added irrationally.

"Tsmh" She tried to reply, but realized that her mouth was preoccupied at the moment. Weird. She tried to open her mouth again and she felt something slip in, something rather alive and wet. She tried to fight off this rude intruder, only to be shocked when said intruder became even bolder in response.

"Kyouko" she heard that voice again. _–san_, she primly added. He should call her Kyouko-san. She liked the way he said her name though. It brought tingles to her spine. Or maybe it was because of the caress she felt down at the small of her back.

"Nnh-" she replied, her own sound foreign to her ears. Was it her just now?

"Mmm.." she tried again, and she felt it extremely difficult for her to focus on any words, even less talk. She didn't feel like talking.

"Kyouko.."

She felt nice.

She was also running out of oxygen.

"Kyou-"

Kyouko yanked herself out of—whatever she was in—and breathed the much needed oxygen. She looked at herself and at her surrounding. Her senpai's apartment, she realized. Her clothes was disheveled and half unbuttoned.

In front of her was her senpai, looking not much different than the state she was in. _It was his hair_, Kyouko irritatedly thought_. I was running my hand through Tsuruga-san's hair_. His stared off, looking as surprised as she was. His normally neat white shirt was messy; his hair was unruffled and on his neck was some fresh bruises. _What have I done?_

"Kyouko, I—"

"-san."

"What?"

"Kyouko-san. Just Kyouko is not proper."

The actor frowned, realizing that this was not the first time that she had snubbed him off for calling her familarly. Her name was the last thing on his mind at the moment however.

"Kyouko-san. What we just did—"

"I understand, Tsuruga-san" Kyouko said distractedly.

"You do?" Ren said, not thinking that she did.

"You probably was practicing your move for that highschool girl you're in love with."

"I-, what?"

"That wasn't very nice. I understand that even you get carried away sometimes, but any nice Japanese girl might mistake your playboy ways for something more."

"Mogami-san—"

"Alas, I need to go" Kyouko said with exaggerated galantry, quickly packing for her things. "Today had been rather, ah, eventful. I thank you for your hospitality, Tsuruga-san."

"Mogami-san"

"Tsuruga-san, I really need to go." Kyouko said, _not_ looking at the man in front of her. In fact, looking at anything _but _the man in front of her.

"Mogami-san, look at me." Ren grabbed her hand, refusing to let go. She tried to yank him off, but failed to. She frowned at the offending hand on her wrist, annoyed that it held her captive.

"You don't understand, Tsuruga-san. My curfew—"

"You don't live with the Darumaya couples anymore. You don't have curfews, Mogami-san."

"But the last train—"

"Please. Let me say something. I'll drop you off after that, I promise."

Kyouko placed one last frown at his hand on her wrist, as if thinking of any means of escape and could not find one. She finally relented and sat back on the couch.

"Kyouko-san." Ren tried, "that highschool girl…"

"It's fine Tsuruga-san. You don't have to tell me about her anymore now that you know I'm Bo."

"No, listen, Mogami-san" Ren reverted back to calling her by her family name, frustrated that she wasn't listening to him and half-expecting illogically that calling her by her family name would somewhat make her listen to him as a senpai.

"That highschool girl is you."

Ren saw her twitched so he knew she heard him, and she didn't move away from him, which he took as a good sign.

"The highschool girl that I love, I was talking about you. That's why I couldn't have told you about my love problem. It was all about you, Mogami-san."

"I love you" Ren begged, of what he didn't know.

Kyouko still refused to look at him, and something in Ren broke.

"I love you" Ren tried again. "Please"

"Kyouko-san, look at me. Say something."

A cliff. She inched back, her heels kicking off rubbles to the bottomless pit. She was cornered. Tsuruga-san inched closer, begging her. _Please. Please._ She shook her head. _Don't. Don't come any closer! I'll fall off. _

_Please._

_No!_

"No!" Kyouko shouted, shaking her head like she had just seen her worst nightmare. "I can't."

"Why can't you?"

"I can't. No."

"No?"

Kyouko shook her head, as if the very answer scared her. She unwittingly hugged herself and realized that she was shaking.

Silence.

"I understand" Ren smiled and gathered himself, the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Kyouko thought his eyes looked a bit wet, although it would be presumptuous of her to think that the great Tsuruga Ren had just cried.

"Let me drop you home." Ren stood and reached for her hands, but Kyouko jerked back as if his hands were hot as coals.

Ren frowned at his hand as if it had just personally offended him.

_I shouldn't have kissed her. I should've waited until she's ready. What have I done?_

Any man would've cried at this point, but not Ren, no. He deserved this, after what he had done to Rick. His heart though, the way it clenched so painfully, he was sure it must have shattered off to a thousand pieces. He suddenly found it hard to breathe.

_What have I done?_


	12. Rash

_Furukawa Kyouko finally worked as a secretary for Iwasaki Corps, though not exactly under Iwasaki Ken's agreement, but as was ruled by the rest of the board of directors._

_Why not give her a chance, one of the directors had said. The last secretary had resigned 2 days after being assigned. His second-hand man, Yasuo Akihiro is taking a sick leave. He really couldn't have find a better candidate than Miss. Furukawa Kyouko right here on such short notice. _

_KEN: (Looked at her resignedly and sighed.) "I believe you've spoke with Yasuo about your responsibilities as my secretary."_

_KYOUKO: "Hai. I'll be in your care, Iwasaki-san. _Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu_."_

_KEN: "Let's get today started then"_

_Furukawa Kyouko at first found it hard to follow Iwasaki Ken's busy schedule, but her perseverance knew no bound. She actually managed to impress Iwasaki Ken, which did say a lot about her hard work. She even took care of him when he was down with cold, nursed him back to health. _

_Iwasaki Ken found it hard not to like her just a little._

* * *

Kyouko clenched the cold pack (a prop) in her hand. The scene was sorely reminding her of her love-me work as Tsuruga-san's temporary manager. It had been hard for her to keep her façade as Furukawa Kyouko. Why, it was almost like reliving her memories one by one. In some ways it was less tiring for her because she could be who she was. But for how long? She dreaded the scene when Furukawa Kyouko finally decided to open her heart. That moment would be the end of her false acting. She must quickly invent a believable Furukawa Kyoko before that time come. She must, before—

_I love you. Please._

Kyouko frowned, shook her head and strod toward Director Kurosaki's office, her demons smashing the painful memory in her wake.

* * *

The director was about to get a smoke when Kyouko came in.

"Kurosaki-kantoku, I'm going to take the offer you gave me the other day."

Ushio couldn't help but raise a brow at her declaration. He really hadn't expected her to say yes to such a shady thing.

"Are you sure?"

"Definite."

Ushio looked at Kyouko again, searching for any traces of doubt, waiting for her to sporadically change her mind. He found none.

"Then I'll be in your care, Kyouko-san. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

"Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" Kyouko bowed her head in response, though not exactly knowing what she had just agreed to.

If she had, she would probably have ran away a mile before she even saw it coming.


	13. Fate

For the first time in his life, Ren came late to work.

He had no time to eat breakfast this morning and had to drive rather recklessly to Toei Studio (though his manager would gladly point out that was not his first time driving recklessly).

To say that Yashiro was surprised would be an understatement.

"Seriously, Ren, what did you do last night?"

"Hm?"

"You should take a look at yourself, you look like you missed 3 night's sleep"

_Which I probably had, _Ren thought.

"I'm fine Yashiro. Work has been keeping me up lately."

His charge's appearance was immaculate, but he could see the telltale bags under his eyes and the lack of charm the actor usually had blast.

Blaming work was very suspicious, though. Yashiro didn't trust his answer one bit, especially considering that he knew the actor to be a workaholic. Still, he'd thought he'd ask:

"Are you okay? Should I clear out your schedule a little this week?"

"Don't worry about it. There's only one filming and an interview. I should be fine after a short nap."

"If you say so. Please take care of yourself, Ren. I don't want to lose my job"

"Thanks Yashiro… I will."

Ren tried with all his will power to convince himself that things will be fine.

It didn't help that Kyouko was practically avoiding him like plague, too.

* * *

**Toei Filming Studio**

Kyouko watched Yasu-senpai acted his character, the snobby entrepreneur Seiya, convincingly. She couldn't turn her eyes away. Every time she watched 'Skip Beat!' being acted, Kyouko had this nagging familiar feeling that it wasn't the first time that she watched the play. And that Seiya character reminds her A LOT of a certain annoying cockroach…

Just when Kyouko was about to start squashing imaginary cockroaches, a conversation butt into her hearing.

"New style, director?"

"Yeah, I thought I need some trimming. What do you think?"

"It's great. Makes you look younger."

"Good. That's the general goal"

Kyouko had been too absorbed remembering her past to pay attention, but she should've noticed sooner. True enough, the director had looked very different today. He'd shaved off his goatee and opted for short spiky hair instead of his usual unkempt look.

Despite his more youthful look, Kyouko still thought that Director Kurosaki's personality was just like an oji-san. _After all, he prefer sake and beers to thrice meal a day._

Kyouko snapped from her reveries as a buzzing noise vibrated in her pocket. A text.

_From: Director Kurosaki_

_Subject: TOP SECRET_

_Dinner tonight?_

_— End of Message —_

Kyouko frowned at her phone, then at the offending director whom really should be working right now.

The director showed no signs of acknowledgement, choosing instead to focus on the scene playing in front of him.

Kyouko typed her reply while mentally checking her schedule.

_From: Mogami Kyouko_

_Subject: RE: TOP SECRET_

_I can't. I have a job tonight._

_— End of Message —_

Just when Kyouko was about to pocket her phone, a reply came back.

_From: Director Kurosaki_

_Subject: RE: TOP SECRET_

_Che. Tomorrow?_

_— End of Message —_

Kyouko quickly weighed the benefit of starting her learning early and decided that she might as well start soon.

_From: Mogami Kyouko_

_Subject: RE: TOP SECRET_

_Tomorrow is fine. Also, please change the subject name._

_It's begging for attention._

_— End of Message —_

_From: Director Kurosaki_

_Subject: NOT SECRET_

_Subject changed. 7PM at Noma._

_— End of Message —_

Kyouko frowned at the mail subject. Is he making fun of her?

Noma.. The place didn't sound familiar to her. Is it a park? restaurant? She thought of approaching the director, but there was a reason why he spoke to her through texts. If possible, she'd too like to avoid having more scandal than what she already have in hand.

* * *

"I was told you have a job tonight, Kyouko-san?"

Kyouko jumped at the voice behind her.

"Y-yes, Director. I will need to leave very soon."

"I was not informed that you have something scheduled today. It was not in your agency's information"

"It's a LoveMe job" Kyouko said, as if that explained everything.

That in fact did explain everything for the director. The infamous LoveMe of LME. But ofcourse. He'd almost forgotten those bright pink uniforms in his Kyurara CM audition. He'd heard strange rumors about the division, most of them involved odd jobs and mysteriously violent members.

"Ok. You're free to go." Ushio dismissed her with a wave of hand.

Kyouko bowed to the Director and hurriedly run to grab her stuff at the dressing room.

Her next job was actually Yappa Kimagure Rock. She was told that there'd be a special guest today and therefore needed to come earlier. She'd asked Yawara-san for a ride to get her to TBM, using the reason that Ren had to leave early today.

In truth, she truly thanked all the gods and the goddesses that she won't need to face him today. Just the thought of him was enough to make her heart race and her hands shake.

* * *

**TBM Studio**

A man.

"And… our special guest tonight.." Hikaru began as the drumroll plays in the background.

And a woman.

"….We've been keeping him under wraps even for our staff members.. Right, Sinichi-san?"

One disguised as a chicken.

"That is right Hikaru-san! It was hard not to squeal, even a manly guy such as myself" Sinichi quickly rejoined, exaggeratedly fluttering his eyes.

"I mean, just look at Bo gaping. He must be very surprised." Yuusei snickered.

Speak of the devil.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen! This gentleman was recently the center of one very hot gossip, a talented actor who has been nominated as the handsomest male in Japan 3 years running… Japan's most handsome actor… Please welcome—

TSURUGA REN!"

To say that Kyouko was unruffled would be an understatement.

"C-Cluck-KOOO!" Kyouko fell to the floor and howled in misery.


End file.
